Samsung Galaxy A8 Plus

Samsung Galaxy A8+: The Best Mid-Range Smartphone From Samsung Yet, but Still Not Worth

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ comes bearing an all-new design, latest processor, revamped connectivity, and better camera hardware. I used the device for two weeks and here is what I think about the Galaxy A8+.

Samsung Galaxy A8+ Review: Display

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ is the first mid-range device from the company to have a bezel-less design. The display is a 6-inch Super AMOLED unit with Full HD+ resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass protection.

In my testing, I found the display to have vibrant colour tone and excellent brightness levels. As the display has AMOLED technology, its sunlight visibility is very good in spite of a glossy, reflective surface. The sharpness is adequate; I did not find pixelation even in the small notification icons. I accidentally dropped the device a few times during testing, but the display managed to stay in one piece.

Samsung Galaxy A8+ Review: Camera

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ has a 16MP + 8MP dual-camera setup at the front, and a single 16MP camera at the rear.

The 16MP front-facing camera has normal FoV, while the 8MP camera can be used to capture wide-angle images. The wide-angle camera comes handy when one has to capture wide scenery or a group selfie. The combo of both the cameras can also capture images with bokeh effect. I found the selfies from the 16MP front-facing camera to be sharp, detailed, and noise-free during the daylight. Though their lowlight image quality isn't as good as it is in daylight, it is still very good. The images taken in portrait mode have accurate background defocus in daylight, but in lowlight the camera gets confused.

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The 16MP primary camera of the device has phase-detection autofocus and an LED flash. In daylight, the image quality is excellent. The images have lots of details, there is no over-sharpening, and the colours are also very close to the real-life scenarios. However, in lowlight, the image quality isn't as good as that of its competitors like the OnePlus 5T and the Nokia 8. I suspect it is mainly due to the lack of the OIS. Unfortunately, the device lacks 4K video recording, and it the main disadvantage of the device.

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Overall, the front-facing camera is very good, but the primary camera is just average, as it has below average lowlight performance and it misses out on 4K video recording. If you are a person who uses the primary camera a lot, then the Galaxy A8+ may not live up to your expectations.

Samsung Galaxy A8+ Review: Performance

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ debuts the Exynos 7885 processor; it is much more powerful than the processors used in older mid-range Samsung smartphones. The device also has 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Galaxy A8+ comes loaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS, and it has Samsung's latest Experience UI.

The Galaxy A8+ has a very fast performance; it doesn't lag or stutters even under heavy multitasking. However, the Galaxy A8+ lacks the smooth animations that the OnePlus 5T, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, and the Nokia 8 offer, and it is mainly because of the lower-specced processor. Thought the performance is adequate, I think Samsung should have equipped with the device with a more powerful processor.

Coming to the software of the device, the Samsung Experience UI has a beautiful, modern design. In addition to great design, the UI also packs tons of features with the centre of attraction being the Secure Folder. The Secure Folder can be used to hide images, videos, files, and applications, and no other manufacturer is currently providing such privacy options to the users.

Samsung Galaxy A8+ Review: Battery, Connectivity, and Audio

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ has a 3500mAh battery, and I expected it to outperform all its competitors, but on the contrary, it lacks behind all its major competitors. During my usage, the device ran out of juice within 20 to 24 hours of usage with a screen-on time of approximately five to six hours. Nonetheless, the device has Samsung Adaptive fast charging, and the device charges very quickly.

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ has dedicated slots for two SIM cards and one microSD card, and this is where it is a step ahead of its competitors, as its competitors have hybrid SIM card slot, which can either fit two SIM cards, or one SIM card and a microSD card, but not three at the same time. Additionally, the device also has USB Type-C port and Bluetooth v5.0 connectivity, making the device future-proof.

The Galaxy A8+ has a single speaker on the right side of the device. The speaker is loud and clear, but it gets muffled when the device is held in landscape orientation, and also when the device is in the pocket. As for the audio quality from the 3.5mm audio jack, it is clean and balanced.

Samsung Galaxy A8+ Review: Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy A8+ doesn't disappoint with its performance, but at the same time, the competitors like OnePlus 5T, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, and Nokia 8 are better in every criteria. Unless you need a waterproof smartphone, I wouldn't recommend you to buy the Samsung Galaxy A8+.